94% of Ontario university grads have secured well-paying jobs two years after graduation: government survey

University-educated graduates are using the advanced skills they learn at university to secure good, well-paying jobs soon after graduation, with 87 per cent employed within six months of graduation, and almost 94 per cent within two years.

“In a complex and ever-changing world, Ontario’s universities are helping to build a brighter future for graduates, their families and communities, and the province,” says David Lindsay, President and CEO of the Council of Ontario Universities, which represents Ontario’s 21 universities.

“By giving graduates the high skills they need, Ontario’s universities are helping unlock the full potential of Ontario’s future and all who live here.”

The latest survey of graduates of Ontario undergraduate programs conducted for Ontario’s Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development shows that university graduates in full-time jobs earn an average salary of almost $42,000 six months after graduation. The average salary after two years is more than $49,000.

Employment rates and earnings for university undergraduates are higher than any other level of education.

As well, the vast majority of recent graduates in full-time jobs say their work is related to the skills developed at university, and related to their program of study.

In all, 83,654 students who graduated from undergraduate programs at Ontario universities in 2013 were surveyed between November 2015 and March 2016 with 34,011 – or almost 41 per cent – responding.

The Hamilton Spectator dominated the 2017 Ontario Newspaper Awards on Saturday night, claiming 12 of the night’s 34 awards, including the prestigious Journalist of the Year and Photojournalist of the Year awards.